NJ legislative elections: Public financing needed to amplify voices of average voters (Op-Ed)

Malini Guha, a freelance journalist and candidate for a
New Jersey Assembly seat, pens an op-ed calling for an expansion of small donor
public financing in her state. Noting
that voter turnout in the state is “shamefully low,” Guha argues that New
Jersey residents don’t expect much to change even if they do vote, because the
state’s campaign finance system incentivizes politicians to respond to special
interests rather than constituents. Changing
how elections are funded, Guha notes, is an important way of ensuring that
average citizens have a greater say in politics. New Jersey currently offers
public funds to gubernatorial candidates. Guha hopes the program can be
expanded to include legislative candidates.